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Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has regained its only remaining backup line of force, after an outage that lasted more than three weeks and once again highlighted the ongoing nuclear safety and security hazards facing the site, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Director General said, Rafael Mariano Grossi. Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). This was stated today by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The ZNPP’s connection to the 330-kilovolt (kV) external power line was restored shortly after 6:00 p. m. local time on Thursday, offering a much-needed buffer for the plant that has suffered eight total losses of external force over the past year and a half.
The 330 kV line was lost on February 20 due to an incident on the other side of the Dnieper River, leaving ZNPP totally dependent on its 750 kV line. Before the conflict, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant had a total of ten power lines, 4,750 kV and six 330 kV lines.
“Last night’s positive developments do not hide the fact that the power scenario at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant remains incredibly fragile and vulnerable to further disruptions. I remain deeply involved in the nuclear safety and security scenario at this primary nuclear facility,” said Director General Grossi. .
In addition, IAEA experts stationed at the site continued to report explosions and other indications of military activity in the vicinity of the PPZ. They heard explosions at other distances from the site over the past week, adding nearby explosions during the morning and afternoon. March 8, and then back in the morning and later in the afternoon of the next day. On Wednesday, the team heard about thirteen artillery rounds.
“What once seemed like military activity in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant has become a daily reality. The scenario is not improving, and as long as this tragic war continues, the plant will remain in danger. For this reason, I once again call for maximum restraint and full respect for the five concrete principles set out by the United Nations Security Council in May last year,” said DG Grossi.
IAEA experts at the ZNPP were informed through the central office of a drone attack in an area outside the ZNPP perimeter this week. No casualties were reported. The incident occurred around 6 p. m. local time on Tuesday, March 12. IAEA experts were briefed for the first time via the ZNPP at 1 p. m. on March 13, where they promptly accessed the site of the reported impact, about 550 meters from the perimeter of the site. The team observed a shallow hollow space in the floor about 70 cm in diameter, located just outside the concrete wall. surrounding the off-site diesel fuel garage domain, about a hundred meters from the diesel fuel garage tanks. The team also observed partially burned sheets and plastics in the domain.
External diesel fuel tanks store more fuel for the emergency diesel turbines (EDGs) in the PPZ’s six reactors. With the fuel stored in the EDG on-site, the plant ultimately has enough diesel fuel for more than 20 days of EDG operation. in the event of a general loss of power off-site.
The impact did not cause any damage to the structures, adding a garage located approximately 40 meters from the impact on the site, and had no impact on nuclear safety. Based on the available evidence and visual observations, the IAEA is unable to verify whether the incident was the result of a drone strike or some other type of projectile.
IAEA experts on site, who crossed the front line to and from the plant as part of a rotation scheduled for this week, continued to assess nuclear safety and security at the NPSA.
They reported that the 4 diesel steam turbines of the ZNPP have resumed their operations to treat liquid waste. These newly installed steam turbines were running in early February, but then shut down for just over a month until a sufficient volume of liquid was obtained. in a condition to be processed.
As part of ongoing efforts to monitor staff welfare, the IAEA team received information through an on-site psychologist on the ongoing assessment of all personnel, as well as some additional testing for operators in the main rooms and turbines of the reactor.
IAEA experts also observed the simulator education of the operational corps of workers at the school, where they held discussions with the ZNPP educational center and Rostekhnadzor, the nuclear protection regulator of the Russian Federation, about the procedure that the corps of workers will have to follow. download their “operating licences”. ‘;
IAEA experts were informed that staff are being trained taking into account the current situation at the ZNPP, with all reactor assemblies shut down without blood or hot, as well as the existing prestige of external power lines and cooling water. Operational body of workers to the reactor assemblies in their current state of shutdown.
“The situation of the plant’s workers remains an important factor for nuclear safety and security that we will monitor closely,” said CEO Grossi.
IAEA experts at the Khmelnytsky, Rivne and southern Ukrainian nuclear power plants, as well as at the Chernobyl site, reported that nuclear safety and security were maintained despite the difficult circumstances of the war, adding to the common sound of air raid alarms in some of the nuclear forces. Plants. Facilities.
The IAEA team at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant had to go to the shelter there 4 times this week, on March 10 and 11 respectively. At the same location, the IAEA team reported that the plant had manually shut down its Unit 2. Wednesday to investigate a problem with the turbine shaft. Nuclear safety and security were not affected by this event.
IAEA experts on the construction of the Rivne, southern Ukraine and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants were replaced this week.
The IAEA continued to supply equipment to assist nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. Two deliveries were made this week, bringing the total to 40 since the start of the armed conflict. Alpha and beta radiation counting systems, portable radio communication devices and non-nuclear devices were equipped with public protection devices at the Rivne nuclear power plant and the Chernobyl site. The aircraft was acquired with investments from the European Union and the United Kingdom.